Stratagem
by kenzimone
Summary: The Commander fell, and with him, their salvation.


**Title**: Stratagem  
**Author**: kenzimone  
**Disclaimer**: Me no own, you no sue.  
**Fandom**: Sky High  
**Rating**: PG  
**Summary**: The Commander fell, and with him, their salvation.  
**Note**: I found it strange that Coach Boomer chose _Warren_ of all people to get the kids out of the gym during Royal Pain's attack. Thus, the birth of this little ficlet. Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed _Keepsake_! I was kind of hesitant in posting it, so all your reviews made my day!

* * *

The Commander fell, and with him, their salvation.

The hushed whispers born out of the Student Body President's surprising reveal died out, a stunned silence tinged by defeat descending the gym as the cry of a single infant cut through the air. Jetstream rose slowly, blue eyes glittering dangerously in the overhead lights as she suddenly turned and launched herself into the air towards Royal Pain. Again, the light blue flash blinded the people in the room, and only Mr. Boy was quick enough to catch the baby that fell towards the ground.

It was only the third flash, and Mr. Boy's yell of defiance as he was struck from behind, that sent the masses running towards the exits.

...

In all of Coach Boomer's years at Sky High, no student had yet succeeded in spiking the punch at the homecoming dance. It was a fact he took great pride in, and this year was no different, as he once again took his usual spot by the buffet table (not trusting that bumbling idiot Mr. Boy to handle the situation satisfactory) and stood guard over the punch bowl while hoping that he might have the pleasure of catching someone red handed.

Munching on a sandwich, he watched a group of seniors pass by, easily recognizing their flickering gazes as ones scouting the area before a mission, and flashed them a pleased smile as they realized that whatever plans they'd had for the punch would best to be forgotten. Chagrined, one of them instead stretched out to flick a cup of punch out of Mr. Boy's hand and Coach Boomer watched in amusement as the group withdrew, laughing with the knowledge they had at least caused some mischief that evening.

Turning his attention back to the table, he watched as a tuxedo wearing Warren Peace accepted a piece of cheese on a stick from Will Stronghold's flower child friend. Who would have thought? He reached for another sandwich, shaking his head at the senseless courting habits of teenagers nowadays.

...

The gym was an African savannah, and the countless students stampeding towards him were a herd of buffalo; Coach Boomer stood his ground, finding it necessary to push himself forward against the tide of bodies to not be swept away with them.

Up ahead on stage, Royal Pain aimed and fired in seamless volleys, shrieks of what might have been pain an indicator of the fact that she was well rehearsed in the motions. Boomer clenched his jaws as one after one, members of the faculty seemed to shrink in on themselves, dropping unseen to the ground; the ones that had the slightest chance of offering resistance sought out and targeted first.

Emergency drills running through his mind, Boomer searched the crowd for Principal Powers. They had all prepared for the possibility that a Villain might one day be foolhardy enough to target the school, but they had never expected _this_! As Gwen Grayson, Royal Pain had walked among them for four years, taking in every little detail, every nook and cranny of the school and the smallest habits of the teachers. She was on several committees; she _knew_ them, knew their strengths and weaknesses, knew who to take out first and who she could afford to leave until later.

Coach Boomer swallowed the bitter feeling of betrayal that mingled with the anger in his blood and finally spotted Principal Powers on the other side of the room. She was holding a baby in her arms, looking down at it in stunned disbelief before lifting her head and meeting Boomer's eyes across the bodies moving back and forth on the gym floor; from the terrified screams and distraught cries behind him, Coach Boomer knew that they were trapped with no way out. Gwen was too smart a girl not to have seen to it.

"Boomer!" The principal's shout was barely audible above the noise but he heard it and, as it seems, did Royal Pain; she raised the Pacifier, taking careful aim. Principal Powers turned, and Boomer realized with a sinking feeling that it was too late for her.

"Get the kids out of he—" Her request ended in a shriek as she was hit in the back and dropped to the floor, sinking out of Boomer's sight of vision.

Boomer turned and ran.

...

"You really don't wanna dance?"

"No."

"Yeah, me neither."

Warren's eyes narrowed, and Layla must not have liked the way he contemplated the perfectly sharp toothpick in his hand, because she promptly plucked it out of his grip. "Here Warren, have another cheese cube."

The pyrokinetic sighed, looking up at the white paper decorations hanging from the gym ceiling. "This is so pointless."

Beside him, Magenta sniffed and readjusted her black elbow length silk gloves. "Totally."

"Hey, we're having fun, aren't we?" Layla leaned toward her date, the look on his face stopping her short of going as far as putting a hand on his arm. "Look, I know Will's not here, and that it kind of defeats the purpose, but we can still have fun. Right?"

Warren twirled his newly acquired toothpick inbetween his fingers, making the not quite square cheese cube turn into a yellow blob of motion, before looking up to take in Zach and his bright white tuxedo.

"No."

Layla frowned. "Fine. Be that way. Come on Zach, _I'll_ dance with you."

"But—" Zach did not have time to utter more of a protest before Layla grasped him by the hand and dragging him away with her, the two soon disappearing into the dancing crowd.

Warren glanced down at the shapeshifter at his side, eyes evaluating.

"Cheese cube?"

Magenta glared at the offered snack, before sighing in defeat and snatching it from inbetween the pyrokinetic's fingers. Warren suppressed a smirk.

...

He had to get them out. Had to be quick.

He'd never make it.

Ten feet away, another teacher dropped to her knees, her screams turning into the cries of a small infant. Coach Boomer could practically feel the bull's eye marking his back. Now, flowing with the stream of students moving in circles of despairing confusion, he could clearly see the iron grates covering the exits and the hands pulling and pushing at them in panicked desperation.

Another way out. There _had_ to be one! The blue light flashed again, and another baby started to cry. This time, he'd almost been able to feel the ray's heat against his skin. Again; another body dropped beside him, this time a student. He was getting targeted.

The students were in shock, eyes large and breathing heavy. The hard knot in his stomach twisted painfully as he realized that they'd have no chance to escape if left to their own devices. They needed authority, yet the teachers were dropping like flies. Automatically, his eyes began to scan the crowd.

There had to be _someone_. Someone who could take charge and get them out and maybe—

Hope sometimes wore the most unexpected of guises.

"Hot Head!"

Warren Peace turned, dark eyes hard and resolute, a steady pillar in the surrounding chaos, and Boomer knew he'd found his man.


End file.
